Unitary Symmetry Class Research Articles

Quantum Phases of Three-Dimensional Chiral Topological Insulators on a Spin Quantum Simulator.

The detection of topological phases of matter has become a central issue in recent years. Conventionally, the realization of a specific topological phase in condensed matter physics relies on probing the underlying surface band dispersion or quantum transport signature of a real material, which may be imperfect or even absent. On the other hand, quantum simulation offers an alternative approach to directly measure the topological invariant on a universal quantum computer. However, experimentally demonstrating high-dimensional topological phases remains a challenge due to the technical limitations of current experimental platforms. Here, we investigate the three-dimensional topological insulators in the AIII (chiral unitary) symmetry class, which yet lack experimental realization. Using the nuclear magnetic resonance system, we experimentally demonstrate their topological properties, where a dynamical quenching approach is adopted and the dynamical bulk-boundary correspondence in the momentum space is observed. As a result, the topological invariants are measured with high precision on the band-inversion surface, exhibiting robustness to the decoherence effect. Our Letter paves the way toward the quantum simulation of topological phases of matter in higher dimensions and more complex systems through controllable quantum phases transitions.

Entanglement in coupled kicked tops with chaotic dynamics.

The entanglement of eigenstates in two coupled, classically chaotic kicked tops is studied in dependence of their interaction strength. The transition from the noninteracting and unentangled system toward full random matrix behavior is governed by a universal scaling parameter. Using suitable random matrix transition ensembles we express this transition parameter as a function of the subsystem sizes and the coupling strength for both unitary and orthogonal symmetry classes. The universality is confirmed for the level spacing statistics of the coupled kicked tops and a perturbative description is in good agreement with numerical results. The statistics of Schmidt eigenvalues and entanglement entropies of eigenstates is found to follow a universal scaling as well. Remarkably, this is not only the case for large subsystems of equal size but also if one of them is much smaller. For the entanglement entropies a perturbative description is obtained, which can be extended to large couplings and provides very good agreement with numerical results. Furthermore, the transition of the statistics of the entanglement spectrum toward the random matrix limit is demonstrated for different ratios of the subsystem sizes.

Full perturbative calculation of spectral correlation functions for chaotic systems in the unitary symmetry class

Starting from a semiclassical approach recently developed for spectral correlation functions of quantum systems whose classical dynamics is chaotic, we focus on the case of broken time-reversal symmetry, the so-called unitary class. We obtain to all orders in perturbation theory the non-oscillatory parts of all correlation functions, showing that the off-diagonal contributions to these correlation functions cancel and the conjectured universailty holds. The innovation that allows this calculation to be performed is the introduction of an auxiliary matrix model which is governed by the same diagrammatic rules as the semiclassical approach and which can be exactly solved.

Semiclassical calculation of spectral correlation functions of chaotic systems

We present a semiclassical approach to n-point spectral correlation functions of quantum systems whose classical dynamics is chaotic, for arbitrary n. The basic ingredients are sets of periodic orbits that have nearly the same action and therefore provide constructive interference. We calculate explicitly the first correlation functions, to leading orders in their energy arguments, for both unitary and orthogonal symmetry classes. The results agree with corresponding predictions from random matrix theory, thereby giving solid support to the conjecture of universality.

Universal conductance fluctuations and direct observation of crossover of symmetry classes in topological insulators

A key feature of topological insulators (TI) is symplectic symmetry of the Hamiltonian which changes to unitary when time reversal symmetry is lifted and the topological phase transition occurs. However, such a crossover has never been explicitly observed, by directly probing the symmetry class of the Hamiltonian. In this report, we have probed the symmetry class of topological insulators by measuring the mesoscopic conductance fluctuations in the TI Bi$_{1.6}$Sb$_{0:4}$Te$_2$Se, which shows an exact factor of two reduction on application of a magnetic field due to crossover from symplectic to unitary symmetry classes. The reduction provides an unambiguous proof that the fluctuations arise from the universal conductance fluctuations (UCF), due to quantum interference and persists from T = 22 mK to 4.2 K. We have also compared the phase breaking length (l$_\phi$) extracted from both magneto-conductivity and UCF which agree well within a factor of two in the entire temperature and gate voltage range. Our experiment confirms UCF as the major source of fluctuations in mesoscopic disordered topological insulators, and the intrinsic preservation of time reversal symmetry in these systems.

Individual eigenvalue distributions of crossover chiral random matrices and low-energy constants of SU(2) × U(1) lattice gauge theory

We compute individual distributions of low-lying eigenvalues of a chiral random matrix ensemble interpolating symplectic and unitary symmetry classes by the Nystr\"om-type method of evaluating the Fredholm Pfaffian and resolvents of the quaternion kernel. The one-parameter family of these distributions are shown to fit excellently the Dirac spectra of SU(2) lattice gauge theory with a constant U(1) background or dynamically fluctuating U(1) gauge field, which weakly breaks the pseudo-reality of the unperturbed SU(2) Dirac operator. Observed linear dependence of the crossover parameter with the strength of U(1) perturbations leads to precise determination of the pseudo-scalar decay constant, as well as the chiral condensate in the effective chiral Lagrangian of AI class.

Multifractal finite-size scaling at the Anderson transition in the unitary symmetry class

We use multifractal finite-size scaling to perform a high-precision numerical study of the critical properties of the Anderson localization-delocalization transition in the unitary symmetry class, considering the Anderson model including a random magnetic flux. We demonstrate the scale invariance of the distribution of wavefunction intensities at the critical point and study its behavior across the transition. Our analysis, involving more than $4\times10^6$ independently generated wavefunctions of system sizes up to $L^3=150^3$, yields accurate estimates for the critical exponent of the localization length, $\nu=1.446 (1.440,1.452)$, the critical value of the disorder strength and the multifractal exponents.

Realizing and Detecting a Topological Insulator in the AIII Symmetry Class.

Topological insulators in the AIII (chiral unitary) symmetry class lack experimental realization. Moreover, fractionalization in one-dimensional topological insulators has not been yet directly observed. Our work might open possibilities for both challenges. We propose a one-dimensional model realizing the AIII symmetry class which can be realized in current experiments with ultracold atomic gases. We further report on a distinctive property of topological edge modes in the AIII class: in contrast to those in the well-studied BDI (chiral orthogonal) class, they have nonzero momentum. Exploiting this feature we propose a path for the detection of fractionalization. A fermion added to an AIII system splits into two halves localized at opposite momenta, which can be detected by imaging the momentum distribution.

Quantum transport in Weyl semimetal thin films in the presence of spin-orbit coupled impurities

Topological semimetals have been at the forefront of experimental and theoretical attention in condensed matter physics. Among these, recently discovered Weyl semimetals have a dispersion described by a three-dimensional Dirac cone, which is at the root of exotic physics such as the chiral anomaly in magnetotransport. In a time reversal symmetric (TRS) Weyl semimetal film, the confinement gap gives the quasiparticles a mass, while TRS is preserved by having an even number of valleys with opposite masses. The film can be tuned through a topological phase transition by a gate electric field. In this work, we present a theoretical study of the quantum corrections to the conductivity of a topological semimetal thin film, which is governed by the complex interplay of the chiral band structure, mass term, and scalar and spin-orbit scattering. We study scalar and spin-orbit scattering mechanisms on the same footing, demonstrating that they have a strong qualitative and quantitative impact on the conductivity correction. We show that, due to the spin structure of the matrix Green's functions, terms linear in the extrinsic spin-orbit scattering are present in the Bloch and momentum relaxation times, whereas previous works had identified corrections starting from the second order. In the limit of small quasiparticle mass, the terms linear in the impurity spin-orbit coupling lead to a potentially observable density dependence in the weak antilocalization correction. Moreover, when the mass term is around 30 percent of the linear Dirac terms, the system is in the unitary symmetry class with zero quantum correction and switching the extrinsic spin-orbit scattering drives the system to the weak antilocalization. We discuss the crossover between the weak localization and weak antilocalization regimes in terms of the singlet and triplet Cooperon channels, tuning the spin-orbit scattering strength.

Energy relaxation rate and its mesoscopic fluctuations in quantum dots

We analyze the applicability of the Fermi-golden-rule description of quasiparticle relaxation in a closed diffusive quantum dot with electron–electron interaction. Assuming that single-particle levels are already resolved but the initial stage of quasiparticle disintegration can still be described by a simple exponential decay, we calculate the average inelastic energy relaxation rate of single-particle excitations and its mesoscopic fluctuations. The smallness of mesoscopic fluctuations can then be used as a criterion for the validity of the Fermi-golden-rule description. Technically, we implement the real-space Keldysh diagram technique, handling correlations in the quasi-discrete spectrum non-perturbatively by means of the non-linear supersymmetric sigma model. The unitary symmetry class is considered for simplicity. Our approach is complementary to the lattice-model analysis of Fock space: though we are not able to describe many-body localization, we derive the exact lowest-order expression for mesoscopic fluctuations of the relaxation rate, making no assumptions on the matrix elements of the interaction. It is shown that for the quasiparticle with the energy ε on top of the thermal state with the temperature T, fluctuations of its energy width become large and the Fermi-golden-rule description breaks down at max{ε,T}∼Δg, where Δ is the mean level spacing in the quantum dot, and g is its dimensionless conductance.

Quantum criticality at the Chern-to-normal insulator transition

Using the noncommutative Kubo formula for aperiodic solids and a recently developed numerical implementation, we study the conductivity $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ and resistivity $\ensuremath{\rho}$ tensors as functions of Fermi level ${E}_{F}$ and temperature $T$ for models of strongly disordered Chern insulators. The formalism enabled us to converge the transport coefficients at temperatures low enough to enter the quantum critical regime at the Chern-to-trivial insulator transition. We find that the ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{xx}$ curves at different temperatures intersect each other at one single critical point, and that they obey a single-parameter scaling law with an exponent close to the universally accepted value for the unitary symmetry class. However, when compared with the established experimental facts on the plateau-insulator transition in the integer quantum Hall effect, we find a universal critical conductance ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{xx}^{c}$ twice as large, an ellipse rather than a semicircle law, and absence of the quantized Hall insulator phase.

Level Spacings of Parametric Chiral Random Matrices and Two-Color QCD with Twisted Boundary Condition

We evaluate the level spacing and smallest eigenvalue distributions of chiral random matrix ensembles transiting from symplectic or orthogonal to unitary symmetry classes with a crossover parameter ρ. As expected from the effective σ model description, these results can be fitted perfectly to the fundamental or adjoint staggered Dirac spectrum of SU(2) quenched lattice gauge theory under the imaginary chemical potential (twisting) µ. The linear dependence of the parameter ρ on µ determines the pion decay constant F as its proportionality constant.

Scaling at chiral quantum critical points in two dimensions

We study the localization properties of electrons moving on two-dimensional bi-partite lattices in the presence of disorder. The models investigated exhibit a chiral symmetry and belong to the chiral orthogonal (chO), chiral symplectic (chS) or chiral unitary (chU) symmetry class. The disorder is introduced via real random hopping terms for chO and chS, while complex random phases generate the disorder in the chiral unitary model. In the latter case an additional spatially constant, perpendicular magnetic field is also applied. Using a transfer-matrix-method, we numerically calculate the smallest Lyapunov exponents that are related to the localization length of the electronic eigenstates. From a finite-size scaling analysis, the logarithmic divergence of the localization length at the quantum critical point at E=0 is obtained. We always find for the critical exponent \kappa, which governs the energy dependence of the divergence, a value close to 2/3. This result differs from the exponent \kappa=1/2 found previously for a chiral unitary model in the absence of a constant magnetic field. We argue that a strong constant magnetic field changes the exponent \kappa within the chiral unitary symmetry class by effectively restoring particle-hole symmetry even though a magnetic field induced transition from the ballistic to the diffusive regime cannot be fully excluded.

Spin quantum Hall effect and plateau transitions in multilayer network models

We study the spin quantum Hall effect and transitions between Hall plateaus in quasi two-dimensional network models consisting of several coupled layers. Systems exhibiting the spin quantum Hall effect belong to class C in the symmetry classification for Anderson localisation, and for network models in this class there is an established mapping between the quantum problem and a classical one involving random walks. This mapping permits numerical studies of plateau transitions in much larger samples than for other symmetry classes, and we use it to examine localisation in systems consisting of $n$ weakly coupled layers. Standard scaling ideas lead one to expect $n$ distinct plateau transitions, but in the case of the unitary symmetry class this conclusion has been questioned. Focussing on a two-layer model, we demonstrate that there are two separate plateau transitions, with the same critical properties as in a single-layer model, even for very weak interlayer coupling.

Periodic-orbit theory of universal level correlations in quantum chaos

Using Gutzwiller's semiclassical periodic-orbit theory, we demonstrate universal behavior of the two-point correlator of the density of levels for quantum systems whose classical limit is fully chaotic. We go beyond previous work in establishing the full correlator such that its Fourier transform, the spectral form factor, is determined for all times, below and above the Heisenberg time. We cover dynamics with and without time-reversal invariance (from the orthogonal and unitary symmetry classes). A key step in our reasoning is to sum the periodic-orbit expansion in terms of a matrix integral, like the one known from the sigma model of random matrix theory.

Correlations of the local density of states in quasi-one-dimensional wires

We report a calculation of the correlation function of the local density of states in a disordered quasi-one-dimensional wire in the unitary symmetry class at a small energy difference. Using an expression from the supersymmetric sigma model, we obtain the full dependence of the two-point correlation function on the distance between the points. In the limit of zero energy difference, our calculation reproduces the statistics of a single localized wave function. At logarithmically large distances of the order of the Mott scale, we obtain a reentrant behavior similar to that in strictly one-dimensional chains.

Symmetry Classes in Graphene Quantum Dots: Universal Spectral Statistics, Weak Localization, and Conductance Fluctuations

We study the symmetry classes of graphene quantum dots, both open and closed, through the conductance and energy level statistics. For abrupt termination of the lattice, these properties are well described by the standard orthogonal and unitary ensembles. However, for smooth mass confinement, special time-reversal symmetries associated with the sublattice and valley degrees of freedom are critical: they lead to block diagonal Hamiltonians and scattering matrices with blocks belonging to the unitary symmetry class even at zero magnetic field. While the effect of this structure is clearly seen in the conductance of open dots, it is suppressed in the spectral statistics of closed dots, because the intervalley scattering time is shorter than the time required to resolve a level spacing in the closed systems but longer than the escape time of the open systems.

Dyson–Maleev representation of nonlinear sigma models

For nonlinear sigma models in the unitary symmetry class, the nonlinear target space can be parameterized with cubic polynomials. This choice of coordinates has been known previously as the Dyson–Maleev parameterization for spin systems, and we show that it can be applied to a wide range of sigma models. The practical use of this parameterization includes simplification of diagrammatic calculations (in perturbative methods) and of algebraic manipulations (in non-perturbative approaches). We illustrate the use and specific issues of the Dyson–Maleev parameterization with three examples: the Keldysh sigma model for time-dependent random Hamiltonians, the supersymmetric sigma model for random matrices and the supersymmetric transfer-matrix technique for quasi-one-dimensional disordered wires. We demonstrate that nonlinear sigma models of unitary-like symmetry classes C and B/D also admit the Dyson–Maleev parameterization.

Dynamic localization in quantum dots: analytical theory.

We analyze the response of a complex quantum-mechanical system (e.g., a quantum dot) to a time-dependent perturbation phi(t). Assuming the dot to be described by random-matrix theory for the Gaussian orthogonal ensemble, we find the quantum correction to the energy absorption rate as a function of the dephasing time t(phi). If phi(t) is a sum of d harmonics with incommensurate frequencies, the correction behaves similarly to that for the conductivity deltasigma(d)(t(phi)) in the d-dimensional Anderson model of the orthogonal symmetry class. For a generic periodic perturbation, the leading quantum correction is absent as in the systems of the unitary symmetry class, unless phi(-t+tau)=phi(t+tau) for some tau, which falls into the quasi-1D orthogonal universality class.

Short-range plasma model for intermediate spectral statistics

We propose a plasma model for spectral statistics displaying level repulsion without long-range spectral rigidity, i.e. statistics intermediate between random matrix and Poisson statistics similar to the ones found numerically at the critical point of the Anderson metal-insulator transition in disordered systems and in certain dynamical systems. The model emerges from Dysons one-dimensional gas corresponding to the eigenvalue distribution of the classical random matrix ensembles by restricting the logarithmic pair interaction to a finite number k of nearest neighbors. We calculate analytically the spacing distributions and the two-level statistics. In particular we show that the number variance has the asymptotic form Σ2(L) ∼χL for large L and the nearest-neighbor distribution decreases exponentially when s→∞, P(s) ∼ exp(- Λs) with Λ = 1/χ = kβ + 1, where β is the inverse temperature of the gas (β = 1, 2 and 4 for the orthogonal, unitary and symplectic symmetry class respectively). In the simplest case of k = β = 1, the model leads to the so-called Semi-Poisson statistics characterized by particular simple correlation functions e.g. P(s) = 4s exp(- 2s). Furthermore we investigate the spectral statistics of several pseudointegrable quantum billiards numerically and compare them to the Semi-Poisson statistics.